Trump Partnership “For The Birds”
Betrayal By Bird Boxes For Billionaires In Bedminster
“Give me Liberty, or Give Me a Grant”
“for the birds“ – worthless; undesirable. “This television program is for the birds.“
{INTRO NOTE TO READERS: (12/24/19) No surprisingly, NJ Audubon has killed the links to this material I provide below and also scrubbed their website. I was aware of that – and anticipated they would do that, which is why I took a screen shot. But if you look hard enough, the Trump Partnership can still be found on the Corporate Stewardship page (see the map, which they haven’t scrubbed yet). But, the Annual Corporate Stewardship Annual Reports are no longer there – they highlighted and summarized the Trump National Golf Course “stewardship” work. The 2019 Corporate Stewardship Annual report does not include the Trump work does this mean the “partnership” has been terminated? Trump financial support to NJA also can still be documented by reading the NJA Annual Reports – 2015 shows Trump National major donor – so does 2016 and 2017. ~~~ end Intro]
Donald Trump has a “partnership” with the NJ Audubon Society.
Trump expressed pride in that partnership:
“I take great pride that the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NJ Audubon recognizes and validates the environmental contribution we have made with the original design of our two world class golf courses in Bedminster. They currently provide for over 200 acres of habitat for indigenous and migratory grassland birds. With this partnership we look forward to their professional guidance in further improving and expanding the habitat at this wonderful property.” said course owner Donald J Trump.
In like fashion, NJ Audubon praised Trump:
“Trump National is demonstrating an outstanding commitment to sustaining native wildlife populations.” said Eric Stiles, President for New Jersey Audubon. “They are solidifying a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding community to foster environmental awareness and a conservation ethic while enhancing wildlife and natural systems in New Jersey.”
Trump has demonstrated “Outstanding commitment”?
Give me a fucking break.
The NJ Audubon Society’s mission is to protect birds:
NJA fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among NJ’s citizens; protects NJ’s birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of NJ’s valuable natural habitats.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service finds that the number one threat in the “Top Common Human-caused Threats to Birds” is cats.
But when Donald Trump bragged about “grabbing some pussy”, he wasn’t trying to capture cats to reduce bird mortality.
So What Explains This Twisted Partnership?
Today is the 242nd anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous quote:
Give me liberty, or give me death!
Eric Stiles, CEO of NJ Audubon might say:
Give me Liberty, or give me a grant
NJ Audubon has touted CEO Stiles’ “entrepreneurial conservation”.
Rapid growth in Audubon’s staff and budget was touted as a major accomplishment when Stiles was named successor to Tom Gilmore: (Audubon press release)
Stiles came to New Jersey Audubon in January of 2002 to serve as Vice president for Conservation and Stewardship. Stiles grew his department from a staff of 1 and a budget of less than $100,000 to a staff of 8 and a budget in excess of $1,000,000.
The question is, what is Stiles willing to do to continue that growth in budget and staff? (and collect that $102,000+ salary)
We don’t know exactly how much – if any – Trump money has changed hands to buy this twisted partnership.
But we do know that Trump is not the only billionaire that NJ Audubon has a twisted partnership with, see:
Trump has mounted a systematic across the board assault on protections, institutions, and science we rely on to not only protect birds, but human health and the environment.
For any self described “conservation” group to maintain a “partnership” with Trump in light of these facts is a disgrace.
We’re still waiting for the NJ Audubon press release announcing termination of this twisted “partnership”.
We’re still waiting for the environmental and conservation community – across the entire country – to shame NJ Audubon.
We’re still waiting for the media to cover the story.
We’re not going away.